A system and method of controlling a concentration of one or more gases dissolved in a beverage is shown. The system includes a saturation tank having a gas head space, a brite tank, and a beverage supply system to pass the beverage between the saturation tank and the brite tank. A beverage supersaturated with the gas from the head space is formed in the saturation tank. The supersaturated beverage is passed from the saturation tank to the brite tank. Once the amount of gas added to the beverage exceeds saturation, some of the gas escapes from solution from the beverage and the pressure in the brite tank increases. Once the pressure within the brite tank reaches a pre-defined pressure, a pump supplying the beverage to the saturation tank is shut-off and the inlet and outlet valves of the brite tank are closed.

Device 1 for mixing the contents of a tank 10 comprising a first pipe connecting body 20 arranged on a connecting flange 14 of a tank 10; a riser pipe 40 extending through the first pipe connecting body 20 into the tank; a mixing pipe 50 extending through said first pipe connecting body 20 into said tank; and a pump 60 whose outlet 64 can be connected at least to the mixing pipe 50 and whose inlet 62 can be connected both to the first pipe connecting body 20 and to the riser pipe 40. Further a method for mixing the contents of a tank is claimed.

A system for producing ethanol comprises a rectifier column that receives a first process stream comprising from about 42% to about 60% ethanol, wherein the rectifier column purifies the first process stream to provide an ethanol product stream that is at least about 90% ethanol, and one or more evaporators configured to evaporate water from a second process stream, wherein the one or more evaporators generate vapor, and wherein at least a portion of the vapor supplies heat energy for separation of ethanol from water in the rectifier column.

A system for producing ethanol comprises a rectifier column that receives a first process stream comprising from about 42% to about 60% ethanol, wherein the rectifier column purifies the first process stream to provide an ethanol product stream that is at least about 90% ethanol, and one or more evaporators configured to evaporate water from a second process stream, wherein the one or more evaporators generate vapor, and wherein at least a portion of the vapor supplies heat energy for separation of ethanol from water in the rectifier column.

The present invention relates to a device for preparing and dispensing reconstituted beer, said device comprising: a first vessel containing a liquid concentrate for preparing a beer; a second vessel containing an alcoholic liquid; a source of water; a source of pressurized carbon dioxide; a reconstitution unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing the alcoholic beer; wherein the device is operable (i) to form a reconstituted beer comprising water from the source of water, carbon dioxide from the source of pressurized carbon dioxide, liquid concentrate from the first vessel and alcoholic liquid from the second vessel, in the reconstitution unit and (ii) to dispense the reconstituted beer from the dispensing unit; wherein the liquid concentrate in the first vessel an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV; and wherein the alcoholic liquid in the second vessel contains 12-100 wt. % ethanol and 0-88 wt. % water, ethanol and water together constituting 80-100 wt. % of the alcoholic liquid.

An alternative aspect of the invention relates to a device wherein the source of water and the source of pressurised carbon dioxide are replaced by a source of carbonated water and the device is operable to form a reconstituted beer comprising water from the source of carbonated water, liquid concentrate from the first vessel and alcoholic liquid from the second vessel in the reconstitution unit.

The aforementioned devices can be used to prepare a reconstituted beer of superior quality. The use of an essentially alcohol-free concentrate offers the advantage that the stability of the concentrate is substantially improved.

The present invention relates to a device for preparing and dispensing reconstituted beer, said device comprising: a first vessel containing a liquid concentrate for preparing a beer; a second vessel containing an alcoholic liquid; a source of water; a source of pressurized carbon dioxide; a reconstitution unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing the alcoholic beer; wherein the device is operable (i) to form a reconstituted beer comprising water from the source of water, carbon dioxide from the source of pressurized carbon dioxide, liquid concentrate from the first vessel and alcoholic liquid from the second vessel, in the reconstitution unit and (ii) to dispense the reconstituted beer from the dispensing unit; wherein the liquid concentrate in the first vessel an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV; and wherein the alcoholic liquid in the second vessel contains 12-100 wt. % ethanol and 0-88 wt. % water, ethanol and water together constituting 80-100 wt. % of the alcoholic liquid.

An alternative aspect of the invention relates to a device wherein the source of water and the source of pressurised carbon dioxide are replaced by a source of carbonated water and the device is operable to form a reconstituted beer comprising water from the source of carbonated water, liquid concentrate from the first vessel and alcoholic liquid from the second vessel in the reconstitution unit.

The aforementioned devices can be used to prepare a reconstituted beer of superior quality. The use of an essentially alcohol-free concentrate offers the advantage that the stability of the concentrate is substantially improved.

The invention relates to a single-serve capsule comprising at least two compartments, including a first compartment and a second compartment; wherein the first compartment comprises a liquid concentrate of an alcohol-free beer, said liquid beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV, wherein the second compartment comprises an alcoholic liquid containing 12-100 wt. % ethanol and 0-88 wt. % water, and wherein ethanol and water together constitute 80-100 wt. % of the alcoholic liquid

The capsule of the present invention can suitably be used to prepare a good quality alcoholic beer by mixing the contents of the capsule with carbonated water.

The liquid beer concentrate in the first compartment can suitably be produced by reducing the water content of alcohol-free beer by means of membrane separation and/or by means of freeze concentration. The physicochemical stability of the liquid beer concentrate so obtained is very high due to the very low (or zero) ethanol content.

The invention relates to a single-serve capsule comprising at least two compartments, including a first compartment and a second compartment; wherein the first compartment comprises a liquid concentrate of an alcohol-free beer, said liquid beer concentrate having an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV, wherein the second compartment comprises an alcoholic liquid containing 12-100 wt. % ethanol and 0-88 wt. % water, and wherein ethanol and water together constitute 80-100 wt. % of the alcoholic liquid

The capsule of the present invention can suitably be used to prepare a good quality alcoholic beer by mixing the contents of the capsule with carbonated water.

The liquid beer concentrate in the first compartment can suitably be produced by reducing the water content of alcohol-free beer by means of membrane separation and/or by means of freeze concentration. The physicochemical stability of the liquid beer concentrate so obtained is very high due to the very low (or zero) ethanol content.

The present invention relates to a process of manufacturing a packaged liquid beer concentrate, said process comprising: providing an alcoholic beer comprising 3-12% ABV ethanol; removing at least a part of the ethanol from the alcoholic beer by means of distillation, thereby producing (i) a low alcohol beer having an ethanol content of 0-1.5% ABV alcohol and (ii) an alcoholic liquid containing at least 10% ABV ethanol; removing at least 70 wt. % of the water present in the low alcohol beer by means of membrane separation and/or freeze concentration to produce a liquid beer concentrate; if the alcoholic liquid contains less than 20% ABV ethanol, concentrating the alcoholic liquid to an ethanol content of at least 30% ABV by means of distillation, reverse osmosis or forwards osmosis; separately packaging the liquid beer concentrate and the alcoholic liquid within a single container or within separate containers that together form a kit of parts.

The present process offers the advantage that it can utilise de-alcoholisation units that are commonly used in the production of low alcohol beer, thus minimising capital investment. The low alcohol beer that is obtained by the dealcoholisation step can be concentrated in a single step to produce the liquid beer concentrate.

The present invention relates to a capsule comprising at least two compartments, including a first compartment and a second compartment; wherein the first compartment comprises 5-30 mL of an aqueous liquid having an ethanol content of 0-10% ABV and comprising 0.1-25wt. % of protein; and wherein the second compartment comprises 5-50 mL of an alcoholic liquid containing 20-99.9 wt. % ethanol, 0-60 wt. % water, and 50-2,000 mg/kg of hop acids acids selected from iso-alpha acids, hydrogenated iso-alpha acids, hulupones and combinations thereof, and wherein ethanol and water together constitute at least 80 wt. % of the alcoholic liquid.

The capsule can suitably be used to prepare a hopped alcoholic beverage with a foam head, similar to ordinary beer. To prepare such a beverage, the contents of the capsule are combined with carbonated water and dispensed into a e.g. a drinking glass.